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Joseph "Shad" Araby

Joseph "Shad" Araby (May 13, 2024 – August 17, 2006) was an American veteran, custodian, and supporter of Dedham youth, particularly Dedham High School athletics.

Personal life

Araby was born in Dedham, Massachusetts.[1] As a student at Dedham High School, Araby earned the nickname "Shad" from humming the Louis Armstrong song Shadrack.[1][2] He was the water boy for the football team and served on the Boosters Club.[1] After graduating from Dedham High School in 1942, Araby joined the United States Navy and served in World War II.[1][2] He had a son, Frank, two grandchildren, a brother, James, and two sisters, Edith and Frances.[1]

He was a member of the Italian American Citizens Club of Dedham.[1][2] He enjoyed sports, reading, and jazz music.[1]

Career

After being discharged from the Navy, Araby took a position as an equipment manager for the Boston Red Sox.[1][2] He was later known for referring to all the children of Dedham as "good kid," a practice he picked up from Ted Williams.[2]

He then took a janitorial position at Dedham High School in 1959.[1][3][4][2] He would remain at his alma mater for 31 years, retiring in 1990.[1] He then was elected as a trustee of the Dedham Public Library.[3][2]

Supporter of Dedham youth

Araby was a passionate supporter of Dedham High School sports and did not miss a football or basketball game in many decades.[3][1] While in the Navy, he went AWOL in order to watch the Dedham-Norwood rivalry football game.[1][2] For a lifetime of support, he was a member of the first class of inductees to the Dedham High School Athletic Hall of Fame in 1999.[5][2]

Araby supported anything to do with Dedham youth, including the St. Mary's LifeTeen program.[4] Araby was the first member of the Dedham High School Alumni Association's Shiretown Club.[6] A party for his 75th birthday was a fundraiser to build a skate park behind the Dedham Pool.[7][2]

After retiring, Araby volunteered at the Dedham Middle School, handing out sticks of Juicy Fruit gum and helping students who were having a tough day. He had a special focus on students from broken homes, trying to set a good example for them.[1] When the Middle School hosted a "grandfather's coffee," where students interviewed their grandfathers and then invited them into the school for a special event, Araby would stand in for students' whose grandfathers were not able to attend.[8]

Legacy

Araby MS Display Case

He died on August 17, 2006.[4][1] His funeral was held at St. Mary's Church on August 19, and he is buried at Brookdale Cemetery, Veterans Hill.[1]

The access road to the Dedham High School gym is named "Shad and Wendy's Way" for Araby and Wendell Clement. A tree in front of the High School was dedicated in his honor, and then rededicated on May 13, 2024, on what would have been Araby's 100th birthday.[3] The Dedham Middle School gym, is dedicated in his honor. Outside of the gym is a display case featuring items from his life.

The Shad Araby Award is given each year to a staff member of the Dedham Public Schools who shows a dedicated effort to support the students.[9] The Dedham High School Booster's Club awards the Shad Araby Memorial Athletic Scholarship to a graduating senior each year.[10]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o "Joseph Araby, 82, town sports booster". The Boston Globe. August 27, 2006. p. 65.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Spada, Nick and White, Tracey (May 13, 2024). Shad Araby 100th Birthday Tree Rededication- May 13, 2024. Dedham High School: DedhamTV. Retrieved May 14, 2024.
  3. ^ a b c d "Tree re-dedication in honor of Shad Araby's 100th birthday". The Dedham Times. Vol. 32, no. 18. May 3, 2024. p. 5.
  4. ^ a b c "Joseph "Shad" Araby". Legacy. Retrieved May 4, 2024.
  5. ^ "For Dedham High, a 1st induction". The Boston Globe. December 5, 1999. p. 34. Retrieved May 5, 2024.
  6. ^ "Shiretown Club". Dedham High School Alumni Association. Retrieved May 4, 2024.
  7. ^ "Town of Dedham Master Plan" (PDF). April 2009. p. 182. Retrieved May 5, 2024.
  8. ^ "School project builds bridge to grandpa". The Boston Globe. May 6, 1994. Retrieved May 5, 2024.
  9. ^ Kilroy, Joe (September 13, 2012). "Oakdale Elementary's Ruth Dorsey Wins Ed Kelley Award". Patch. Retrieved May 4, 2024.
  10. ^ "Local Scholarship 2021" (PDF). Dedham Public Schools. Retrieved May 5, 2024.
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